St. Paul ballpark favored in Minnesota grant ranking

ST. PAUL, MN (AP) - A Litchfield sewer upgrade, a St. Paul Saints ballpark and a Duluth parking ramp won high grades from state officials evaluating projects for a $47.5 million grant fund.

Minnesota Public Radio reported Monday that the Department of Employment and Economic Development ranked those projects the highest out of 37 applications it scored. The agency eliminated more than half the 90 applications it received.

Governor Mark Dayton will make the final decision after the Legislature included the grant fund in this year's bonding bill. He is expected to announce his picks this week.

The $27 million Saints ballpark, $2.5 million Litchfield wastewater infrastructure and $10 million Duluth downtown development and parking ramp plan together would eat up most of the money.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is devoting $1.25 million toward a pollution cleanup on the site of Midway Stadium. That was the minor league team's home field until the coming season, when a new stadium opens downtown. Read More...